He knew what I was saying

Sunday

Sep 16, 2012 at 3:15 AMSep 17, 2012 at 6:09 AM

Laying on the couch one recent afternoon (obviously while being out of work, since such mid-day relaxation would normally be interrupted by the police scanner), Pablo jumped up to relax on my shoulder. After stretching out and getting comfortable, the little furball reached out his two front paws, placed them on my head and just stayed there.

Cute, I thought. He knows I have a headache. How thoughtful!

I could see out of the corner of my eye that he was just looking at me, observing me while I watched television so I was careful not to move or signify that I had enough energy to do anything more than just lay on the couch for a bit.

Then he did something really curious. He began speaking. Not barking-speaking, but speaking. Like Scooby-Doo. As if he were trying to form words and communicate.

His little head angled to and fro while he carried on with his tale and held my head with his little paws.

"Are you talking?" I had to ask, because I had just seen the movie Ted and obviously anything was possible. I was also on pain medication and, again, anything was possible.

I'm convinced that Pablo, in his little furry head, knows many words. I'm further convinced at this point that he makes random attempts to speak words just like his human.

According to an online article I came across from Science Daily, canines are about as intelligent as the average toddler and can learn and understand about 165 words.

165!

And not only that, but the article went on to explain that, according to psychologist and leading canine researcher Stanley Coren, PhD, of the University of British Columbia, our furry companions can "intentionally deceive other dogs and people to get treats." I knew it. He also says dogs can count up to four or five, which tells me when I start giving Pablo warnings to stop doing something like a parent would with a child, he totally knows what's up, too.

That little rat.

So from my own observations, I'd say Pablo knows a bunch of words. A handful that when spoken, illicit a definite reaction of excitement; another few that fall under his "selective hearing" category where he'll stomp his paws on the ground and then freeze in place, waiting to see what my next words or actions are before he decides what to do; and a few more that he blatantly ignores, peering at me instead with his eyes without moving a muscle (another form of his "if I don't move she doesn't see me" tactics).

Here are some of Pablo's favorite words:

q Ride. This one's his No. 1 favorite! This means adventure. This means not only does he get to go outside and accompany Mum everywhere, but we sit in a box on wheels with windows and it zooms all over the place.

q Park. That's the only place he gets to run around outside off leash since he's a descendant of Speedy Gonzales. There's usually other dogs there who like to play "racetrack" with him and the ones who don't he tackles in the dirt.

q Racetrack. This means run around as fast as you can like you're qualifying for NASCAR.

q Treat. He's caught on to this one and I suppose it's not nice of me to use it just to get him to do something without actually giving him a reward.

q Kitchen. This one is also tricky. It could mean food (like), or it could mean it's time for Mum to go to work (dislike) because that's where he spends his time when I'm not home. Best to wait it out a few minutes hiding under the bed until the meaning is clear.

q Snuggle. This word means tunnel under the covers and curl up next to Mum because she's either exhausted or being lazy.

q Laundry. Believe it or not, Pablo understands when I say "laundry day." It's his favorite day of the week. It involves actions from other words he loves without me saying them such as "ride" and "treats."

q Walk. Well what dog doesn't know this word? Time to explore the neighborhood.

q Get going. Pablo knows that these words mean it's time to grab his leash, jump around in a frenzy and carry it over to me. Something good always happens when we have to "get going." Usually it includes a car ride, too.

What are some of your dog's favorite words? Does Fido ever try to emulate the sounds you speak to him?